Game related systems, methods, and articles that combine virtual and physical elements

Abstract

Physical objects may be employed with a virtual game layout to enhance wager and non-wagered based gaming. Displays subsystems may provide a changeable or selectable virtual game layout with demarcations appropriate to a selected game. A sensor subsystem may detect physical aspects of game related pieces (e.g., playing cards, chips, markers, dice, spinners, tokens, tiles) as well as media (e.g., identity media, financial media). All gaming functions may occur through interaction with a playing surface, as well as functions such as order food, beverages and services. Automated tracking of players, dealers and games may be realized along with bonusing and promotions.

We claim: 
     
       1. A hybrid wagering game apparatus, comprising:
 a playing surface; 
 one or more physical elements selectively positionable on the playing surface, the one or more physical elements including at least one physical game piece having a respective monetary value associated therewith, the at least one physical game piece having a bottom side that is placed on the playing surface during game play and having the respective monetary value optically coded on the bottom side; 
 one or more virtual elements selectively displayed on the playing surface, the one or more virtual elements including at least one virtual game piece having a respective monetary value associated therewith; 
 at least one processor; and 
 at least one sensor positioned below the playing surface to detect at least a placement and the optically coded respective monetary value of the at least one physical game piece having the respective monetary value associated therewith as one or more wagers at least when the at least one physical game piece having the respective monetary value associated therewith is placed as one or more wagers on the playing surface; and to detect a placement of the at least one virtual game piece having the respective monetary value associated therewith as one or more wagers at least when the at least one virtual game piece having the respective monetary value associated therewith is placed as one or more wagers displayed on the playing surface; the one or more wagers comprising one or more of the physical or virtual elements, the at least one sensor communicatably coupled to the at least one processor to provide information indicative of the placement of the one or more wagers to the at least one processor. 
 
     
     
       2. The hybrid wagering game apparatus as in  claim 1  wherein the physical elements comprise one or more of a card, a chip, and a playing piece, the chip having the respective monetary value and at least one of the card or the playing piece is without any associated monetary value. 
     
     
       3. The hybrid wagering game apparatus as in  claim 1  wherein the virtual elements comprise one or more of a card icon, a chip icon, and a playing piece icon, and the chip icon is the at least one virtual game piece having the respective monetary value. 
     
     
       4. The hybrid wagering game apparatus as in  claim 1  wherein the playing surface includes a game field with one or more demarcations associated with the game field, and the game field is physically marked on or virtually displayed on the playing surface. 
     
     
       5. The hybrid wagering game apparatus as in  claim 4  wherein the game field comprises a representation of a blackjack table surface. 
     
     
       6. The hybrid game as in  claim 4  wherein the game field comprises a representation of a roulette table surface, a wheel, and a ball spinnable about the wheel. 
     
     
       7. The hybrid game as in  claim 4  wherein the game field comprises a representation of a roulette table surface and a wheel, and one of the one or more physical elements is a ball. 
     
     
       8. The hybrid wagering game apparatus as in  claim 4  wherein the game field comprises a representation of a board game. 
     
     
       9. The hybrid wagering game apparatus as in  claim 4  wherein the game field comprises a representation of a poker table. 
     
     
       10. The hybrid wagering game apparatus as in  claim 4  wherein the game field comprises a representation of one or more portions of slot machines and the game is a first game; the representation including the first game replaceable by a second game upon an event. 
     
     
       11. The hybrid game as in  claim 10  wherein the first game comprises a main game; and the second game comprises a bonus game. 
     
     
       12. The hybrid wagering game apparatus as in  claim 1  wherein the at least one sensor is operable to detect an interaction by at least one individual with the one or more virtual elements displayed on the playing surface. 
     
     
       13. The hybrid wagering game apparatus as in  claim 1  wherein the at least one sensor is operable to detect an interaction by at least one individual with the one or more virtual elements displayed on the playing surface which indicates a new location for the one or more virtual elements on the playing surface. 
     
     
       14. The hybrid wagering game apparatus as in  claim 1  wherein the at least one sensor is operable to detect a hand gesture made by at least one individual. 
     
     
       15. The hybrid wagering game apparatus as in  claim 1  wherein the at least one sensor is operable to detect a hand gesture made by at least one individual, the hand gesture indicative of a movement of the one or more virtual game pieces. 
     
     
       16. The hybrid wagering game apparatus as in  claim 1  wherein the at least one sensor is operable to detect a hand gesture made by at least one individual, the hand gesture indicative of a movement of a portion of the game field. 
     
     
       17. A method of operating a hybrid wagering game apparatus, comprising:
 displaying images related to one or more games to be played on at least a first game playing surface, the images including a virtual game layout including a number of demarcations of at least one area associated with the play of the games, the images including a number of virtual game pieces including at least one virtual game related piece having a monetary value associated therewith; 
 detecting by at least one sensor, positioned below the first game playing surface, at least one physical aspect of and a respective monetary value associated with at least one physical game related piece when the physical game related piece is carried on the first game playing surface and placed as a wager on the game playing surface, the physical game related piece having a bottom side for placement upon the first game playing surface and having the respective monetary value associated therewith optically coded on the bottom side; and 
 detecting by the at least one sensor an interaction by an individual with the at least one virtual game related piece having the respective monetary value associated therewith at least when the at least one virtual game related piece having the respective monetary value is placed as the wager on the game playing surface. 
 
     
     
       18. The method as in  claim 17  wherein detecting by at least one sensor at least one physical aspect includes sensing a position and at least one physical characteristic of at least one second physical game related piece carried on the first game playing surface, where the at least one second physical game related piece is without any monetary value. 
     
     
       19. The method as in  claim 17  wherein detecting by the at least one sensor includes detecting a hand gesture. 
     
     
       20. The method as in  claim 17  wherein detecting by the at least one sensor includes detecting a hand gesture made by at least one individual, the hand gesture indicative of a movement of the one or more virtual game pieces. 
     
     
       21. The method as in  claim 17  wherein detecting by the at least one sensor includes detecting a hand gesture made by at least one individual, the hand gesture indicative of a movement of a portion of the game field, and further comprising;
 updating a display of the game field in response to detection of the hand gesture.